Torem(Zeus’s Pack 4)(25)

“I would.” Sidney chuckled. “I still haven’t seen it yet.”

“You will.” Dino leaned down and kissed Sidney tenderly before standing straight again. “First we need to take care of our…mate.”

“That word wasn’t so hard, now was it?” Sidney was enjoying this playful Dino. He liked him. Torem whimpered in his sleep, and Sidney leaned down and kissed his nose, nestling his face into Torem’s fur.

Sidney jumped when someone banged loudly on the front door.

“I think that’s his quiet knock.” Dino chuckled. “I’ll get it. You stay with Torem.”

Sidney ran his hands over Torem’s head. “Don’t worry, baby, we’ll put a big booboo bandage on you and make it all better.” He kissed his nose again as Zeus walked into the bedroom.

“Get away from him, Sidney.” Zeus took two steps and was at Sidney’s side, pulling him from the bed.

“Get your fucking hands off of him.” Dino growled and pulled Sidney from the Alpha’s grasp. “Don’t ever touch him like that again.”

Sidney was impressed with Dino’s show of protectiveness. As much as the guy tried to deny, he felt the bond or he wouldn’t have acted so he-man.

Zeus snarled and grabbed the wolf by his scruff. “This is not Torem.”



* * * *



Torem stumbled into the backyard. He was dirty, thirsty, and his whole body ached. Whatever had happened to him had taken its toll.

Every single minute he had spent under Jackson’s rule had plagued him. It was as if someone hit the play button and then fast forward. Some things came to him that he hadn’t thought about since it happened. It was painful, humiliating, and threatened his sanity. What the hell was wrong with him?

“There you are.” Chey ran to Torem and pulled him into his arms, petting his fur as he spoke softly to him. “You shouldn’t have run. I need to hold you while you go through this for the healing to finish.”

Torem winced at the contact. His skin felt like it was on fire and his head was ready to explode from the killer migraine. Everything started to slow down and the memory of the day Zeus challenged Jackson played through Torem’s mind.

“I am issuing you a challenge. Your people should not be suffering like this while you sit on your ass and reap from their hard labors.” Zeus stood in the front yard of Jackson’s home, no one to back him up. Torem thought he was either the bravest man he’d ever seen or the dumbest. Didn’t the man see all those who stood behind the Alpha?

“Kill him,” Jackson ordered Torem and his men.

Something inside Torem broke. This had to end, and if they attacked the man challenging their Alpha and killed him, who would protect them against the real bad guy? Torem was willing to take his chances with a stranger rather than continue under Jackson.

“No.” Torem stood tall and proud, something he should have done decades ago. But when you are taken from your home at the tender shifter age of thirty, you believe what the man who wields the claws and has the goons to back him up says.

“Bring me Eagle, now.”

Torem felt a laugh tear from his chest. It sounded evil and maniacal. “He’s been hidden away. You won’t be using him for leverage today. This fight is all yours.” Torem and his men stepped back and took a stance behind the stranger.

“What does that tell you, Jackson, when your men stand behind a stranger instead of their Alpha? Are you going to agree to the challenge, or do I have to take you down without your acceptance? It doesn’t matter either way. Your days of terror are over.”

Torem mentally cheered, and was terrified at the same time because he had no clue who this man was or how he would treat the pack. Torem and his men were willing to risk it to rid themselves and the pack of the devil.

Zeus shifted. He was the largest Grey wolf Torem had ever seen. Within seconds the soldiers were protecting Zeus, fighting Jackson’s followers to keep them from interfering in the challenge.

“No!” Torem shouted when Eagle charged from behind the house and leapt onto one of the followers’ back. He shouldn’t be here. Jackson could use him against them.

Zeus tore fur from Jackson’s body as they tumbled and tussled, clawed and bit. Torem kept one eye on the Alpha as he fought to stay alive, fought for what he felt was right, and most of all, fought to kill these sadistic bastards.

Zeus pinned Jackson down and growled loudly, the Alpha rolling and exposing his belly. Torem wanted to shout that Jackson couldn’t be trusted, but at that moment, canines tore into his flank. By the time he had dislodged the wolf and killed him, Jackson and Zeus were already gone.